Dustin Richardson called up; Sox DFA Chris Carter

Lefty Dustin Richardson may get a look in this last week of regular season baseball; he was called up to bolster the bullpen, perhaps in light of Michael Bowden’s spot start. Richardson is a tall lefty with a good sinker and a plus curve, and he’s excelled in relief this year after being converted from a starting role. He’s got some command issues, and can’t really fine-tune location, but his stuff makes him a decent lefty option who can give you some length if needed.

Sept 2009 minor league happenings

As the minor leagues wrap up their seasons, there’s a lot of activity to report on. Adam Kilgore gives his nominations for best performances at each position. Congratulations to the Lowell Spinners, who won the Stedler Division title this year.

The Byrd-Carter connection, Tazawa to return

Joel Sherman of the NY Post reports that the Yankees blocked the trade of Chris Carter to the Mets as revenge for the Sox signing Paul Byrd, who they apparently thought they would get. What is this, the 3rd grade? Boston had to pull Carter back and will have to wait until the offseason to ship him to Omar Minaya and company. Not sure how this waiver claim hurts the Sox really, other than limiting their 40-man roster temporarily; but Theo Epstein is an expert at finding someone to DL when he needs room to work.

Junichi Tazawa was sent down to make some room in the bullpen, but he is expected to be back and to rejoin the rotation in a week, according to Terry Francona.

Penny released; Wakefield/Martinez, Wagner and more

Brad Penny saw that his season was going nowhere in Boston, asked for his unconditional release, and was given it yesterday. As bad as he has been lately, Penny provided plenty of value to the Sox, hurling 131.2 innings for them while the rotation suffered a massive mid-season meltdown. The 5.61 ERA ain’t pretty, but Fangraphs still has him as +2.1 wins above replacement. Don’t forget that he gave us some pretty good starts when our regulars began dropping like flies around the All-Star Break.

Lugo flies the coop; Chris Duncan the return

It looks like someone else besides Julio Lugo still believes he can play shortstop in the Major Leagues. In case you haven’t heard yet, Lugo was traded to St. Louis for 1B/OF Chris Duncan, son of Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan, and a PTBNL. Cards fans have a right to be dismayed, but he can’t be too happy with this deal either. Here’s my evaluation:

Lowell mending, Dice-K taking it slow, Lowrie’s knee a problem

Mike Lowell says he feels better after being placed on the DL last week, and he will be hitting off of a tee starting today. Jeff Bailey was recalled in Lowell’s absence, but he may now go on the DL as well, probably opening the door for Chris Carter to see some time. Carter has been struggling since being sent back to Pawtucket back in April.

Sox trade Ambres, Lowrie may return early

The Red Sox traded outfielder Chip Ambres to the New York Mets for a PTBNL yesterday. Ambres was hitting .259/.335/.368 at Pawtucket at the time of the trade. This is just a depth move, and it frees up some outfield space at Triple-A, which is already crowded with the likes of Zach Daeges, Chris Carter and recently promoted Aaron Bates.

How do you replace David Ortiz?

David Ortiz continues to struggle, even though it seems as if he is hitting some balls harder recently. I don’t think he is done done, but he is certainly hurting the team. Now that we are two months in, it is time to seriously start considering trade options and what they might cost. Unless Papi goes on the DL for 60 days, I think we should look at a right-handed platoon mate for Ortiz, or else a left-handed outfielder who can slot into left and allow the defensively challenged Jason Bay to DH. Here’s a quick rundown of candidates that have been mentioned and what they might cost:

Trade Preview Extravaganza 2009

Almost two months of the season have passed and people’s minds and thoughts inevitably turn towards what can be done to improve the team. I’ve heard some whoppers out there, like trading away our top 4 prospects to get Hanley Ramirez back. Uh, no. But here’s a more realistic look at what is brewing:

Linkage: Big Papi, Lugo, Beckett and more

Maybe the biggest story of the year offensively is the absence of David Ortiz’s power. Batting a mere .222/.319/.333, he has yet to jack a single pitch out of any stadium this year. Papi has been scuffling since a very slow start, swinging aggressively, striking out and getting popped up a lot. Much has been made of his 100 AB homerless drought, the longest of his career, but there are still signs that the lovable slugger may be okay yet. Since  April 15th, Ortiz is batting .243/.325/.400 with 9 doubles and a triple. His walk rate is increasing, and he’s hitting a healthy 21.3% line drives, which should all reflect in his numbers eventually. Francona, of course, is steadfast in his support of Ortiz, and has not moved him from the three hole at all. I’m in agreement with that, though I’d consider sitting him a day here and a day there, just to help him clear his head.